Front Page Headlines
The Azeri had hidden a gun and a phone in the occupied areas
With the mediation of ‘P’, a Greek Cypriot who met with him by chance turned it all into the police.
- European Parliament: Investigate Anastasiades for the Pandora Papers
- Ersan Saner: ‘Lonely’ protagonist in a sex video that has been leaked
- FBI raid: Search conducted in the home of ‘Cypriot’ O. Deripaska
The nightmare at schools awakens
Anxiety over chains of infection – Only 13% of beneficiaries had the third vaccine dose. 12 patients in the ICU, five are fully vaccinated.
- There is interest for British ideas
- The sex video burnt the pseudo-Prime-Minister Ersan Saner: He blamed the Greek Cypriot device
- Deletion of references to names in a European Parliament draft
- Pipes of an aqueduct built in 1745 were found: Important discovery in Larnaca
AKEL requesting a 9% reduction in electricity VAT
It will bring relief to tens of households and businesses.
- European Parliament: It’s looking at Anastasiades’ name in the Pandora Papaers. Issue also at Parliament
- Commission: Turkey’s accession process is stagnant
Fines delayed for traffic violations
Pilot traffic light cameras record 500 offences in two hours at Nicosia junction.
- Turkish Cypriot ‘prime minister’ steps down after compromising video surfaces
This is how we will receive the €284 million
Immediate actions were decided at a meeting chaired by Justice Minister Stefi Drakou with the participation of the chief of Police and other officials.
- Erdogan in a formidable place, he’s taking it out on everyone: Turkey’s rage against Commission and trilateral
- ‘Political murder’: Political earthquake in the occupied areas. ‘Prime minister’ Saner in a sex video
- Queues at petrol stations in the occupied areas, the financial situations worsening
- Hot discussions: The Pandora Papers in our Parliament and the European Parliament
Main News
Turkey issues strong reaction to trilateral declaration
Alithia, Phileleftheros, Haravgi
Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
Responding to the joint declaration issued after the trilateral summit between Cyprus, Greece, and Egypt, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said it was a manifestation of hostile policies on the part of Greece and the GC side, and said that Egypt has yet to grasp that it can cooperate with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The dailies report that the Turkish Foreign Ministry said that Turkey has proved to both friends and enemies that any initiative in the Eastern Mediterranean without the participation of Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ cannot be successful.
It added that Turkey supports energy projects that will increase cooperation among countries in the region, but these projects must not ignore the rights and interests of Turkey and TCs and must be without exclusions.
The announcement said that in contrast to the declaration, the main source of tension in the region are the maximalist and illegal claims of Greece and the GC side which overlook the presence of TCs. It added that the necessary response was given to the attempts of Greece and the GC side to violate the continental shelf of Turkey in order to create tension in the Eastern Mediterranean.
It also stressed that an understanding which neglects the realities on the island cannot contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus issue, reiterating that a new negotiations process cannot resume before the sovereign equality and equal international status of the TC people are accepted.
KEY ACTORS
Turkish Foreign Ministry
>> Trilateral declaration a manifestation of hostile policies on the part of Greece and the GC side, but Egypt has yet to grasp that it can cooperate with Turkey in the Eastern Mediterranean
>> Turkey has proved to both friends and enemies that any initiative in the Eastern Mediterranean without the participation of Turkey and the ‘TRNC’ cannot be successful
>> Turkey supports energy projects that will increase cooperation among countries in the region, but these projects must not ignore the rights and interests of Turkey and TCs and must be without exclusions
>> In contrast to the declaration, the main source of tension in the region are the maximalist and illegal claims of Greece and the GC side which overlook the presence of TCs
>> An understanding which neglects the realities on the island cannot contribute to the settlement of the Cyprus issue
>> A new negotiations process cannot resume before the sovereign equality and equal international status of the TC people are accepted
Anastasiades to brief EU leaders on Turkish provocations
Alithia, Cyprus Mail
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
President Nicos Anastasiades will on Thursday and Friday participate in the European Council Summit taking place in Brussels, during which he is expected to inform his counterparts on the latest Cyprus problem developments and Turkey’s most recent provocations.
Citing an announcement by the Presidency, the dailies report that among the issues to be discussed at the Summit are efforts to address COVID-19, digital transformation, migration, trade, and EU external relations. EU leaders will also discuss ways to address the increases in energy prices.
Government Spokesman Marios Pelekanos, who will be accompanying Anastasiades in Brussels, said in a written statement that Anastasiades will extensively brief EU leaders on all developments regarding the Cyprus problem, and particularly on what was discussed during the informal trilateral meeting with the UN Secretary General and the TC leader in New York, as well as on the delay with regard to the appointment of a UN special envoy.
Pelekanos said Anastasiades will also raise the issue of Turkey’s new provocations in the Cypriot EEZ, as well as Turkey’s actions in Varosha.
Russia calls for withdrawal of foreign troops from Cyprus
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that for there to be stability in Cyprus, the abolition of existing system of guarantees and withdrawal of foreign troops is necessary, the dailies report.
It said that Russia firmly supports a viable and fair solution to the Cyprus issue on the basis of the international legal framework, as defined by UN resolutions for a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF) with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality.
It pointed out that Russia is not in favour of a revision of the model for a Cyprus solution, or a change in the negotiating framework. The Ministry also said that the main thing is to abolish the existing system of guarantees and the withdrawal of foreign troops to bring about long-term stability on the island. The withdrawal of foreign military units is necessary for long-term stability on the island, it added.
The Russian Ministry concluded that Russia supports the efforts undertaken by the UN Secretary General (UNSG) in the framework of his good offices mission to resume the bicommunal dialogue.
The Russian Ministry’s position was made as Cyprus’ Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides is in Moscow for a working visit at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov.
Regarding Christodoulides’ meeting with Lavrov, the dailies report that the two will hold a tête-à-tête meeting at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and will later hold consultations with the participation of official delegations from the Foreign Ministries of the two countries. During both sessions, Christodoulides and Lavrov will review bilateral relations.
They will also discuss the Cyprus issue and the prospects for resumption of negotiations, the escalation of Turkish provocative activities as manifested in Varosha and in the EEZ of Cyprus, the current situation in EU-Russia relations, with the existing prospects and challenges, as well as regional and international issues of common interest.
At the end of the consultations, the two Ministers will sign in a special ceremony the Strategic Framework for Cooperation between the Republic of Cyprus and the Russian Federation for the years 2022–2024, as well as the Agreement for Cooperation for Humanitarian Operations in Crisis Management Situations. Afterwards, they will make statements to the press representatives followed by a working luncheon hosted by Lavrov for the Cypriot delegation.
KEY ACTORS
Russian Foreign Ministry
>> For there to be long-term stability in Cyprus, the abolition of existing system of guarantees and withdrawal of foreign troops is necessary
>> Russia firmly supports a viable and fair solution to the Cyprus issue on the basis of the international legal framework, as defined by UN resolutions for a BBF with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality
>> Russia is not in favour of a revision of the model for a Cyprus solution, or a change in the negotiating framework
>> Russia supports the efforts undertaken by the UNSG in the framework of his good offices mission to resume the bicommunal dialogue
Nautical Geo vessel to resume surveys in EEZ
Alithia, Cyprus Mail
Energy
OVERVIEW
The Republic of Cyprus (RoC) has issued a Navtex announcing that the research vessel Nautical Geo will be resuming operations in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Thursday, the dailies report.
According to the Navtex, the Nautical Geo will be executing survey operations in the RoC’s EEZ between Thursday and midnight Saturday. The Navtex advises all vessels in the area to keep a clear distance of 1.5 nautical miles from the Nautical Geo due to restricted manoeuvrability.
UN Envoy was not on Sharma’s agenda
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
The appointment of a UN Envoy for Cyprus was not on the agenda of the meetings with British Foreign Office senior official Ajay Sharma on Monday and Tuesday in Cyprus, a British High Commission spokesperson said according to the dailies.
The spokesperson told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that as the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s (FCDO) senior official on a Cyprus settlement, Ajay Sharma visited the island again as part of his regular pattern of visits to the region to meet a range of interlocutors.
The papers also report that diplomatic sources told CNA that during his meetings in Cyprus, Sharma gave further explanations and details about the British ideas as regards the resumption of the negotiating process on the Cyprus problem, which, they said lie within the agreed UN framework for a bizonal, bicommunal federation (BBF), and provide for the decentralisation of powers to the constituent states.
EP draft resolution on Pandora Papers
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
A draft resolution by the European Parliament has called for an in-depth investigation by member states’ authorities to investigate politicians whose names appear in the Pandora papers, with one version of the draft specifically mentioning President Nicos Anastasiades, the dailies report.
The text of the draft says the Parliament deplores the fact that a number of politicians, including EU high-level decision-makers, have also featured in the Pandora Papers, and calls on the authorities of the member states involved to carry out appropriate investigations into any wrongdoing.
It said it deplores, in particular, the fact that politicians such as Andrej Babiš, the Prime Minister of Czechia, and Nicos Anastasiades, the President of Cyprus, who both sit on the European Council, in addition to Wopke Hoekstra, the Dutch Minister of Finance, and also Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Milo Dakahovic, the President of Montenegro, and former Maltese Minister and former EU Commissioner John Dalli, have all been mentioned in the Pandora Papers with reported links with offshore dealings.
According to reports, there is some consternation in naming current and former state officials in a final resolution. Phileleftheros reports that after intense deliberations, it was decided to remove the names of the politicians.
The plenary draft resolution will be presented to the European Parliament on Thursday, calling on the authorities of the member states to further investigate all those listed in the Pandora Papers. The European Parliament intends to ask the EU institutions involved to come back and present the findings of their inquiries to the body.
Alithia and Haravgi report that the Cyprus Parliament will discuss the matter of the Pandora Papers on Wednesday.
GC police obtain weapon hid by Azeri in hotel in north
Politis
Internal Security
OVERVIEW
Politis reports that a GC who stayed at the same hotel in the north as the alleged hitman from Azerbaijan discovered by chance a gun and other evidence hid there by the Azeri, with the evidence now in the hands of GC police.
According to the paper, the GC happened to see the alleged hitman hiding something behind an air-conditioning unit, but seemingly thought nothing of it until news broke of the man’s arrest in the Republic. The GC then searched the location at the hotel and discovered a Glock 9mm, some bullets and a mobile phone in a plastic bag.
Politis reports that the GC was initially uncertain as to how to proceed, thinking perhaps of discarding the items, but instead contacted the newspaper to act as a mediator with the GC police. The daily reports that following contacts with the police, the evidence was handed over.
The paper also reports citing a source that the Azeri was also looking to rent an apartment in Engomi, claiming that it was for a friend. The man found an apartment and arranged to rent it for six months. The paper reports that footage from cameras installed the apartment block will be crucial for police to navigate his movements as well as those of his accomplices.